Improvement in flax-harvesters



SAMUEL w. TYLER.

improvement in Fla'x Harvesters.

Patented June13, 1871.

SAMUEL w. TYLER., on TROY, NEW Yoan.

IMPROVEMENT IN FLAX-HARVESTERS.

Specioation forming part of Letters Patent No. 115,910, dated June 13,1871.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. TYLER, of

Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvementsiu Flax-Harvesters; and I do herebydeclare that the followin g is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part ofthis specification, iu which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the framefor supporting the pulling apparatus, showing one of thegathering-pulleys and also the swather applied to it. Fig. 2 is a fronteleva-tion of the same with the pulleys detached. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6are different views, showing the manner of constructing thegathering-pulleys, with retractin g gatherers.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

1 This invention relates to certain novel im provements onflax-harvesters wherein are employed endless cushioned belts for extracting the stalks from the ground, as fully set forth in my Letters Patentof the United States dated, respectively, February 12, 1867, and August27, 1867. The nature of my invention consists, rst, in the combinationof radially-retractin g gatheringarms with the pulling devices ofayax-harvester. Second, in a frame for supporting the pulling devicesand their accessories, which is constructed of a single cast piece, aswill be hereinafter described. Third, in endwise adjustable boards,which support the front gathering-pulleys and also the intermediaterollers, whereby the belts on the pulleys can be tightened at pleasure,Fourth, in a stationary swather, of such form as will guide the stalksin their passage from the .pulling-belts and lay the stalks evenly uponthe ground behind the machine, as will be hereinafter explained.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I willexplain its convstruction and operation.

ing devices. Each frameA consists ot' a horizontal portion, beneathwhich the axle-box c of supporting wheels C is secured; also, a reardepressed extension, a3, to which is secured the bearing-step a? of theshaft of one ofthe rear belt-pulleys, also, a stanchion, u, which hasthe upper bearing al of said pulleyshaft applied to it; also, aninclined support, e5, which extends back from the rear edge ot' the saidstanchion; and, finally, each frame A termina-tes at its front end in aninclined plane and an eye-piece, e4. By thus constructing the frames Ait will be seen that-a great many bolts and sorewfastenings and otherparts are rendered unnecessary, besides which the frames are strongerand more compact, light, and durable, than if they were composed ot' agreat number of pieces. D D represent two adjustable pieces, which aresecured at their upper ends to the inclined extensions n.5, by means ot'ear-piecesf and set-screws d, which latter pass through oblong slots e.The lower end of these pieces D are secured to the front "inclinedextensions of frame A by means of the front pulley-bearings g andset-screws g', which latter pass through oblong slots. lt will thus beseen that the pieces D and the pulley-bearings g, which are rigidlysecured to them, are adjustable longitudinally, and can be thus adjustedby loosening the setscrews d and g. The pieces D constitute the supportfor small anti-friction rollers, which are applied between the front andrear belt.- pulleys for the purpose ofresisting lateral pressure on thebelts while pulling ilax. These rollers and the rear belt-pulleys arenot shown in the drawing. The former are attached to the pieces D at j?,and may be laterally adjustable, and the' shafts of the rearbelt-pulleys are supported by the bearings al a2, as above described.The castings g, which are secured to the'front ends of thesupportingpieces D, have securely attached to them the shafts T of thebelt-pulleys G, so that, by adjusting the pieces D, the pulling-beltscan be conveniently tightened without loosening the shafts 'L The rod b,which extends from'one eyepiece, c4, to the other, is intended to serveas a trippingrod, across which the lower ends or roots of theflax-stalks are drawn during the act of pulling them from the ground.This rod b will clear the dax of loose earth which e usano adheres totheir roots, and assist the pullers in their work. J represents a curvedswather, which Ais intended for evenly laying the pulled iiax upon theground. This swather curves over backwardso as to direct the stalksdownward and prevent scattering, and its inner edge, which crossesobliquely a vertical plane, passing between the pieces D D, is alsocurved in a slightly spiral manner for the purpose of turning the upperends of the'iiaX-stalks downward. lThis sWather might be made of rods,properly curved and connected together, but I prefer to make it of athin flat piece, as shown in the drawing, Figs. l and 2. The frontbeltpulleys G are armed with gathering-spurs or arms h, which, a-s`ythese pulleys revolve, Will gather the swath or stalks of flax betweenpullingbelts which pass around the pulleys. It is important to so applythe arms h to their pulleys G that, at certain points in the revolutionof the latter, the arms will be retracted,

thereby preventing the arms from winding the which-leave a smoothperiphery when they.

are secured together. There is nothing peculiar about the lowersectiom'but the upper section is perforated to receive through it thegathering-arms h. These arms 7L are arranged equidistant from eachother, and in lines radiating from the axis of the pulley. They havetheir innerv bearings in and are guidedY by a ring, S, which is boltedconcentrically with the upper section of the pulley. The arms thusguided at two points are allowed to receive free endwise motion. Aboutthe middle of the length of each gathering-arm is an enlargement, j,from which extend'two pins, i i. The enlargement j preventsthe arm hfrom turning, and the pins or studs i i receive between them the ange ofa cam, I1', as

shown in Fig. 5. The cam is secured by a key to the upper portion of thefixed pulley-shaft T, and the ange' of this cam is so shaped that itwill retract the arms h during one part of their revolution around theshaft T, and thrust thesearms out again during the other part of theirrevolution. The shaft Tjsupports the pulley upon a collar, T', and theupper end of this shaft is bored out to receive oil,'and is transverselyperforated to supply it to the pulley. The cap 7c, on top of the pulley,covers a hole through the pulley-head, through which oil is passed intothe bore p.

While I have represented and described what I Vconsider the bestpossible mode of retracting the gathering-arms h, I do not conne myselfto this mode, as other plans may be employed for this purpose whichwould operate equally as well.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of retractin g gathering arms h with the pullingdevices of a dax-harA vester, substantially as described. l

2. The frame A, constructed in one piece with the standard a, bearingal, and stirrup a3, and applied for the purpose and in thev tially asdescribed. ,Y

i SAMUEL W. TYLER. Witnesses:

It. T. CAMPBELL, J. N. CAMPBELL.

